The Influence Of Dietary Energy, Protein And Copper Levels On The Sulphur Amino Acid Requirements Of Broiler Chickens

Citation

Abstract / Synopsis

Three experiments were conducted with male broiler chicks
to determine the influence of dietary metabolisable energy
( ME ) , crude protein (CP) and copper (Cu ) levels on the total
sulphur amino acid (TSAA) requirement of broilers both during
the starter ( 0-3 wk) and t he grower periods ( 4-6 wk) reared in
the tropics . In all the experiments the parameters used to
evaluate the TSAA requirements are body weight gain , feed : gain
ratio and carcass composition.
In the first experiment , two factorial arrangements of three ME levels ( 3000 , 3200 and 3400 kcal /kg ) x four level sof
TSAA ( 0 . 73 , 0 . 83 , 0 . 93 and 1. 03% ) and the same three ME levels
( 3000 , 3200 and 3400 kcal /kg ) x four levels of TSAA ( 0 . 65 ,
0.72 ,0.79 and 0.86% ) were used for t he starter and the grower periods,respectively . The results showed significant
differences ( p< . 05 ) in body weight gain and feed : gain ratio of
the broilers within creasing dietary TSAA levels both in
starter and grower periods. There were no significant
interaction ( p< . 05 ) between dietary ME and TSAA levels for
the performance , with the exception for feed in take of starter
broilers . It indicated that for the starter period , a TSAA of
0 . 93% produced the best performance regardless of energy levels
while for the grower period the requirement of TSAA at both
0 . 79 and 0 . 86% were suggested . The results further showed
that dietary energy levels had no effect on the TS AA
requirement of the broilers.